Beka Warren is a calm, quiet woman whose eyes glitter with a keen intellect. An article published on July 18, 2011 in the Craig Daily Press described Warren’s thirst for knowledge and impressive educational accomplishments.

Warren is the only person trained to recover eye tissues in Northwest Colorado and gained her qualification in 1992, about the same time she joined the Craig Lions Club.

“I carry a bag with my equipment, the club paid for that,” she said when explaining how the Lions continue to help her when she needs to travel to Rio Blanco, Routt and Garfield counties to recover tissue.

There are waiting lists for other organ and tissue donations in Colorado, but there isn’t one for people who need eye tissue transplants. This allows the eye bank to serve others across the United States and the world.

“We placed corneas in just about ever continent except Antarctica,” Austin said “The donor family always gets to know the outcome.”

Helping other people live better lives is the motivation that drives Warren’s work. It’s not always an easy job. Unlike recipients and transplant teams she occasionally has to recover tissue from people that she knew in the community.

“When someone dies there is not a lot that can be done,” Warren said. “But if tissues are donated, there is no greater gift.”